Asaki Yume
by LeadRaincoat
Summary: Asaki Yume A Shadow Over Dreams Changes have come to Konoha once again. Friends turned bitter rivals, have turned to enemies. Naruto goes in search of Sasuke and the Legendary Sannin are born anew. With changes come grief.


Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its respective copyrights and whatnot. I would not dare to claim propriety, ownership or credit for its creation.

"Asaki Yume "- Shadows of Dreams

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The rain was coming down hard in Konoha. It was from the tears of the village some would claim.

Naruto was certainly wasn't crying, though he wanted too. Sakura's tears were coming down, but the rain was cleverly masking them. This date shared an eeire similarity with the same day almost fifteen years ago. Naruto remembered it well. It was the day Third Hokage's funeral was held, it was the day for rememberance in the sacrifice of the ninja of the hidden leaf village during Orochimaru's attack.

Kakashi-sensei's blank eye was as unforgiving has Sasuke had been.

Jiraiya was present, but was far from the crowd, Naruto sensed him. He sensed Jiraiya everywhere now; even as far as the Land of Waves or the Land of Wind. Ever since he resealed the Nine-Tails. The anger was welling up, but it was anger that he hadn't been able to save Sasuke so many years ago. He had allowed Orochimaru to turn his friend and brother in arms. At that point their rivalry became a thing of the past, a childish thing, discarded by Naruto. What it was replaced by was love. He wanted nothing more than to become strong enough physically and mentally and emotionally to bring Sasuke back to Konoha as a friend. And now for this if the last of the Uchia clan ever returned to the hidden leaf village it would be as a prisoner or as an executed foe.

The Village Hidden within the Leaves was crying once more with the pain of loss.

This time ninja weren't killed by the dozen, instead only two had died.

Naruto managed to fight Sasuke to a stand still, but it seemed he was only looking to hurt the village and destroy moral. He was working with the League, and because Naruto was called away he was unable to come to Konoha's defence in time. He just couldn't believe that Sasuke had allied himself with the League. He was worse than Itachi, much worse because of how much stronger he had become thanks to Kakashi-sensei's and Orochimaru's training.

But Naruto too had become stronger, but not strong enough to bring Sasuke back in time to save him. Not even Kakashi could do that.

Sakura leaned on Naruto's shoulder. He placed arm around her, caressing her own shoulder and catering to her pain. Naruto's black tunics and sandals were in sync with Sakura's own. The ceremonial black garments hadn't been used in so many years. It only brought more pain and sadness to think of the Third's death. The position of Hokage would never be sacred again. Naruto was sure of that much. He was determined for his entire life to be Hokage because of the respect it brought with it, but he had never until recently realized what it must be like to actually earn that respect. Because at any moment the Hokage's life could be snatched from him or her in defence of Konoha. And like the Hokage's before, this Hokage had done so. Like the Third, the Fourth, and now.. like the Fifth had joined the ranks of murdered Hokage of Konoha.

The Fifth. Naruto thought to himself looking down into a puddle that had collected in front of him.

He could see her youthful reflection in the sullen water. Tsunade.

The greatest medic-nin that ever lived and one of the Legendary Sannin. She had defended Konoha six times from the League's attacks.

She hated being told she was old, so she wore the facade of her youthful self. She was a flawless beauty. It was how Naruto had always pictured her. Young. She was Sakura's teacher (like Jiraiya had been to Naruto) and in recent years Naruto's good friend.

Naruto heard the sounds of splashing and outrage coming from beside him and his eyes shifted to see the most terrifying sight he'd ever seen.

Rock Lee, his fists pounding against the mud and weeping. He had lost his one and only teacher, the man who had been a father to him since he was first in Ninja academy. Might Guy.

Possibly the two physically strongest ninja in Konoha and Sasuke had trampled them like dust. Naruto was terrified by that kind of power. Despite her age she still managed to over power Naruto in an arm wrestle. As Naruto watched as Lee beat the ground into utter submission he couldn't help but feel Lee's pain. He wanted nothing more than to retrieve Sasuke and make him pay for what he did, but he was torn between his old friendship and his hatred for Sasuke for who he was now.

Naruto's vision turned to Neji Hyuga who was badly bruised, but now was standing without the help of crutches a sign of his endless determination, something he and Neji always had in common. Neji had fought Sasuke to almost a standstill, but when he unleashed his Sharingan trapping Neji in a mental prison of physical anguish that -- if not for his Byakugan -- may have killed him. Still he had suffer psycological damage and it took Sakura and Ino both to bring him back to consciousness. Neji had been charged with protecting Hokage Tsunade and to his own guilt he failed and Sasuke was able to to kill her.

Neji was called the Land of Wind's greatest ninja, his skill was unparalleled and his Byakugan allowed him to have three-hundred and sixty degree vision. But even for Neji, Sasuke was too much.

Naruto's heart hardened.

From his position Jiraiya could only the group and funeral procession just barely. But through Naruto's eyes he could see it perfectly. He was old now and not as strong as he once had been, not like when he was training Naruto the first time before his Chunin exams. But he would have made a difference had he been there to protect her.

Jiraiya's long silver hair was matted against him in the rain and like the others his tears were mired by the pouring water from the open skies. Tsunada was dead, Orochimaru was dead, and the Third was dead. Jiraiya was alone now. Only.. only the Fourt-- Naruto was left. Jiraiya corrected himself, but now more than ever that's who he saw in Naruto. His greatest student.

If only Naruto had been there.

Jiraiya was sure he could have stopped Sasuke from killing her.

He was too old now.

Naruto looked back, and his eyes connected with Jiraiya's even from the distance they were.

"..Tsunade.." Naruto said under his breath. "I'm sorry."

Naruto's eyes closed and in the darkness of his own eyelids he saw her face again. His mind flashed back to when they first met. His childish insults and his doubts of her amazing strength and her techniques as a one of the Sannin.

Naruto's eyes turned to Kakashi-sensei once more.

He was gone.


End file.
